ROMANTICISM, REFORM, REVOLUTION, AND REPRESSION
The Age of Metternich 1815-1848

Why did the post-Napoleonic era witness such a proliferation of reform movements and revolutions in Europe and the Americas? During the Enlightenment, philosophes wrote about their ideas for progress; during the Romantic era, men fought actively for their utopian dreams. What linked the philosophes’ social, political, economic and religious ideas to Romanticism, the prevailing cultural and literary style of the age? What were the inspirational antecedents from the Enlightenment, the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era? What were the Romantic revolutionaries’ dreams and programs to “create a better world”? How did they spark the revolutions of the 1820s/1830s and 1848? What ideals motivated reform movements such as the Second Great Awakening, the anti-slavery movement, the temperance movement, the women’s rights movement, the utopian socialists Robert Owen and Fourier, and the Oneida community, the Mormons, the Shakers, Young Italy, the Chartists, etc.? What opposition did the reformers face and what was Metternich’s role in repression? Which movements and revolutions succeeded, which failed, and why? What was the long-term impact of the events of this period? Are there parallels in the Middle East today?

In seeking answers to these questions, discussions will be based on a rich and generous offering of relevant readings, including many original writings by the inspirational leaders of these movements.

COURSE LENGTH: 12 weeks
DISCUSSION TEAM: Susan Anastasopoulos, Louis Balena, Penny-Anne Soper
FIRST SESSION: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 6:15 pm